


Calm after the storm

by Julieseven



Category: SKAM (Italy)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, I just couldn't wait for next Friday ok?, M/M, Marti takes care of Nicco, Reunion, Soft Boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 18:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julieseven/pseuds/Julieseven
Summary: I can't wait until next Friday for our boys to be okay again, so I went and wrote what I think could possibly happen next week.





	Calm after the storm

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my dear Ilse. You inspired us to get the Italian SKAM cast to Oslo and you deserve a world of love for that and many other reasons! I love you to pieces darling!

Martino runs.

He doesn't stop once, not allowing himself to catch a breath for even a second. For all he knows, Nicco is at the top of "La Torretta", contemplating to throw himself off the roof, and that just can't happen.

By the time he reaches the school, Martino's lungs are burning and he's panting heavily, but he still screams when he sees the dark figure standing at the far end of the yard.

“NICCO!"

At Martino's scream, the figure turns around, and when the light from the lamp behind him lights up Niccolo's face, Martino feels like the weight of the world was just lifted off his shoulders. He doesn't care that half of Rome probably just heard him yell Niccolo’s name in the middle of the night, his voice shaking with tears. All he cares about is that Niccolo is here, still breathing and apparently uninjured.

Martino tries to open the metal gate, but it doesn’t budge. For a few moments, he jiggles the handle around, groaning impatiently, but then he decides he doesn’t have time.

Without even hesitating, Martino starts climbing the fence, almost slipping back down a few times. He thinks to himself he must be crazy, but he also doesn’t care about anything else but getting to Niccolo. Finally, Martino reaches the top of the fence and swings his legs across one by one. Taking a deep breath, he looks down to estimate the height and then jumps down, groaning in pain when his feet hit the ground.

“Fuck,” he curses under his breath, but when he turns around, he’s relieved to see Niccolo hasn’t moved an inch. “Ni,” he breathes, his heart suddenly in his throat.

Running up to the boy he hurt so badly a few weeks ago with just a few thoughtless words, Martino stops halfway across the yard. He purses his lips and forces himself to approach Niccolo slowly, carefully, like he would a wounded deer.

Because even from a distance, Martino can see the pain and exhaustion in Niccolo eyes, and it makes his heart hurts so much he fears it will fail any second. But he has got to make sure Niccolo knows he never meant to say those things.

‘ _My mother is fucking depressed …. It's best to limit your contact with such people as much as possible, otherwise you become just like them…’_

His own words course through Martino veins like poison and he wishes he could just take them back and forget he ever said them. Of course, life with his mother isn't always easy, and sometimes Martino wishes she was just like other mums. But he also wouldn't trade her for the world. Marinella Rametta may be struggling with depression, but she's also the most fiercely loving mum Martino could wish for and he loves her back with all his heart.

And that's why, when Martino is finally standing in front of Niccolo, he says something he's never said to anyone before.

“I love my mother. She's sad a lot and sometimes I wish she were different but she's my mum, and I love her, exactly the way she is.”

Martino’s voice is shaking, but he forces himself to hold Niccolo’s gaze to make sure Niccolo knows he means every word. Niccolo doesn’t say anything, but he also doesn’t move back. So Martino takes a deep breath and steps a little closer. Cupping Niccolo’s face with both hands, he then leans forward to bump their noses together. Martino’s heart skips a beat when he hears Niccolo suck in a breath, but he's not done yet.

“I'm so sorry, Ni. What I said about mum and depression, it was bullshit! I didn't mean one word of it! You…” Swallowing hard, Martino takes a shivering breath and moves his head back to meet Niccolo’s eyes again. “I want to be with you, no matter what, do you hear me? It doesn't matter that you have BPD, because you're also the best person I know and I will do everything I can to deserve you, okay?”

Martino is crying now,  but he doesn't give a shit. He just holds Niccolo’s gaze and waits, his heart hammering against his chest as if it were about to jump out.

For a long moment, Niccolo just stares back at him, not moving and inch. But then, Martino feels a hand in his neck, making him gasp with surprise.

“Okay,” Niccolo says then, his voice sounding broken and so low Martino hardly hears him, but that one word floods Martino entire body with relief.

Leaning forward, Martino gently covers Niccolo’s lips with his own, still holding Niccolo’s face between his palms. Niccolo kisses back, albeit hesitantly, but his hand is still on Martino’s neck while his other hand finds Martino’s waist. Closing his eyes, Martino kisses Niccolo again, his heart beating so fast he’s worried it will burst from his chest.

When they break apart, Martino can’t help but to feel a little guilty though. While he himself is crying and feeling awful, Niccolo must be feeling way worse, and Martino is convinced he caused a big part of Niccolo’s pain. Niccolo is trying not to show it, but Martino can tell he’s completely exhausted. His fingers are heavy on Martino’s neck, and he’s swaying to and fro, as if he’s about to fall over. So Martino wraps both arms tightly around Niccolo’s upper body, pulling him close. Niccolo sighs deeply at Martino’s ear and clutches on to Martino’s shoulder blades with both hands as if he were drowning. New tears spring from Martino’s eyes at the thought of how much pain Niccolo must be in, and he wraps his arms even tighter around his boy.

This beautiful, gentle boy who saved Martino in more ways than one. And now it’s Martino’s turn to save him back.

For a long moment, the two of them just stand like this, holding on tightly while the cold autumn wind rustles the leaves of the trees in the yard. Martino runs his fingers through Niccolo’s hair and breathes him in, hardly daring to believe he’s holding him again. He feels tempted to pinch himself, but Niccolo’s fingers do that for him, digging into Martino’s shoulders as if he, too were afraid of Martino slipping away any second.

After a long while, Martino presses a series of soft kisses to Niccolo’s neck and hair before moving back to look at him again. Niccolo’s eyes still look empty, but he’s holding on tightly to Martino’s waist, which gives Martino the courage to make a decision he never thought possible.

“Let’s go to my place. My mum is probably asleep already, and even if not, I don’t think she’ll mind you sleeping over,” he says softly, holding Niccolo’s gaze in the hope that he hears what Martino is saying between the lines.

_I don’t want to hide you, not anymore._

Niccolo lets out a soundless huff of a laugh, nodding slowly. Martino grins broadly at that, feeling his heartbeat speed up. He takes Niccolo’s hand in his, leaning over to peck Niccolo’s cheek one more time before leading him out of the school yard. This time, the metal gate doesn’t put up a fight, but that could just be because Martino’s hands aren’t shaking anymore.

About half an hour later, Martino guides Niccolo into his room, half-carrying him to the bed. Niccolo manages to sit upright until Martino has helped him take his hoodie off and then he slumps down onto the mattress, pulling his knees up to his chest. Martino quickly takes off his sweater and jeans before lying down next to Niccolo, who has closed his eyes and isn’t moving a muscle.

For a moment, Martino considers asking Niccolo if he wants to take off his pants, but he decides against it when he cups Niccolo’s ice-cold cheek with one hand. Niccolo will be warmer with his pants on, plus he doesn’t look like he wants to move any time soon.

Martino pulls his blanket over the two of them, making sure it covers Nicolo entirely before shuffling closer until their noses are touching. Niccolo lets out a soft sound, letting Martino know he’s still awake, although barely. It makes Martino smile a little and he reaches for Niccolo’s hand under the covers, lacing their fingers together.

“You’re not alone,” he whispers then and presses a gentle kiss to Niccolo’s forehead. Niccolo just sighs in reply, stretching his legs out and loosely wrapping his arm around Martino’s waist.

Like that, they fall asleep eventually, Martino with his hand in Niccolo’s hair and Niccolo’s head resting on Martino’s shoulder.

They will talk about everything at one point, but right now, Martino is just glad to have Niccolo right here in his arms, neither of them hiding anything anymore.

_______________________________________________________________________

Martino wakes up shivering a few hours later. He finds that his blanket is no longer covering him and turns to find Niccolo wrapped tightly in it, like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Smiling to himself, Martino is about to get up to grab an extra blanket from his mother’s room when he hears a choked sob.

Martino’s smile falters and he scoots closer, wrapping one arms around Niccolo’s waist and pushing Niccolo’s hair out of his face with his free hand. “Ni, what is it?” he asks softly, his heart suddenly thumping uncomfortably in his chest.

For a long moment, Niccolo doesn’t turn around. He buries his face in his hands and curls into himself, his shoulders heaving with sobs. Martino feels tears well up behind his own eyes and he does nothing to hold them back. Pulling Niccolo closer into his chest, he runs his fingers through Niccolo’s hair while murmuring soothing words at Niccolo’s ear.

“It’s okay, I’m here, Ni. I’m not going anywhere. Just hold on to me okay?” Martino's voice cracks and he feels tears running down his cheeks again, but he doesn't stop caressing Niccolo's hair. If only he could just take the pain away from Niccolo, he'd do almost anything.

Eventually, Niccolo’s fingers close around Martino’s wrist and he swallows hard before clearing his throat.

“I’ll just make you hate me,” he whispers then, tearing Martino’s heart in two.

“No, I could never hate you, Ni.” Martino says, his voice still shaking with tears. He presses his lips to Niccolo’s neck and moves even closer to him until his chest is pressed flush to Niccolo’s back. “Not in a million years could I so much as dislike you,” he whispers, his tears wetting the collar of Niccolo’s T-shirt. His fingers are still caressing Niccolo’s hair, although they're shaking heavily and he hopes with all his might that Niccolo believes him.

Slowly, as if in slow motion, Niccolo turns around to Martino. It seems to take him all his remaining strength, and when they’re finally face to face, Martino almost gasps. Niccolo’s cheeks are tear-streaked, and although he's not looking up, Martino can tell his eyes are puffy and red and he’s biting his lip to keep himself from sobbing again.

Martino brings up both hands to cup Niccolo’s face and leans their foreheads together, taking a shaking breath. “Look at me,” he breathes, but Niccolo shakes his head, looking down at the space between his and Martino’s pillow. Martino sighs deeply and leans forward to kiss Niccolo’s forehead and then both his cheeks.

When Martino moves his head back, Niccolo’s eyes are open and he’s watching Martino with a heavy, sad expression. And although his heart hurts and he’s biting back sobs, Martino somehow manages to smile at the beautiful man in front of him.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he says, surprised at how steady his voice sounds although he’s still crying. “You make me feel free, Ni. I’m not saying I think it won’t be hard to make it work at times, but I don’t care. I don’t want to give up before we even tried, okay?”

Martino’s heart is pounding in his chest and he wonders where those words are coming from. Not that he doesn’t mean every last one of them, but nonetheless, he feels a little surprised at his own courage. Niccolo’s eyes are glued to Martino’s by now, and although he still looks sad, Martino thinks he sees a spark of hope in Niccolo’s expression.

So he leans forward and captures Niccolo’s lips in a kiss, his thumbs caressing Niccolo's temples. Niccolo’s lips are wet with tears, but Martino can feel him kissing back, which makes his heart jump in his chest.

Moving his head back, Martino opens his eyes to search Niccolo’s face for a reaction. Niccolo is staring at him with wide eyes, as if he were trying to figure out if Martino is really there.

“Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together, alright?” he whispers against Niccolo’s lips, running his fingers through Niccolo's hair. For a moment the empty expression on Niccolo’s face has Martino worried that he will just turn around and go back to sleep. But then Niccolo lets out a long sigh and gives Martino the tiniest of nods.

And for the second time in a matter of hours, Martino’s body is flooded with relief. He smiles happily and bumps Niccolo’s nose with his own before kissing him again, his fingers gently caressing Niccolo’s neck. Niccolo sighs into the kiss and when they break apart, he buries his face at Martino’s chest, shuffling closer and wrapping his arm loosely around Martino’s waist.

Martino doesn’t fall asleep right away this time. For a long while, he keeps drawing circles onto Niccolo’s back and running his fingers through his hair. From time to time, he presses a kiss to the top of his boyfriend’s head.

Boyfriend. Niccolo is Martino's boyfriend. They haven't exactly talked about it, but Martino hopes with his whole heart that Niccolo still wants to be with him.

Because although right now, he feels a little lost and quite a bit scared, Martino is not afraid of being with Niccolo anymore.

And with that soothing thought on his mind and Niccolo's head resting on his chest, Martino eventually drifts off to sleep again.


End file.
